Mr. YoсOм. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You delivered them to him?

Mr. Yocoм. Yes, sir. They use them when somebody comes down to visit, business agents and stuff like that.

The CHAIRMAN. For business agents who may come to visit? Mr. YoCOM. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Are they kept in stock as part of the equipment of the local's property?

Mr. Yocoм. I suppose just as part of the equipment there.

The CHAIRMAN. You have not used the duck-hunting equipment? Mr. YoCOм. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Who is it for? Who uses the duck-hunting equipment? Do you not get in on that?

Mr. Yocoм. No, sir. I haven't duck hunted in a couple of years. The CHAIRMAN. A couple years?

Mr. Yoсoм. That is right.

The CHAIRMAN. That was just before hunting season 2 years ago. Was that when you quit?

Mr. Yocoм. No, sir; but I am usually out of town on a job and I don't get in on it. I am too poor to hunt, Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. Let these documents be made exhibit No. 30, marked "A," "B," and "C," in the order in which I referred to them. (The documents referred to were marked "Exhibit No. 30" for reference and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.)

The CHAIRMAN. I will say we have a good many things like this, and this one just happens to have your name. That is why I presented it. I did not think you wanted to admit that the union was buying these insulated goods for you personally. Your name is on it as having received it, but you personally did not get them.

Mr. Yocoм. I had to sign the ticket when I went down to pick them up.

The CHAIRMAN. To receive them?

Mr. YoсOм. That is true.

The CHAIRMAN. I thought that is the way it was, but I wanted to get it in the record.

Is there anything further of this witness?

If not, we thank you and you are excused.

Mr. ADLERMAN. Mr. Griffin is the next witness.

The CHAIRMAN. Please be sworn.

You do solemnly swear the evidence you shall give before this Senate Investigating Subcommittee shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I do.

TESTIMONY OF ERMON GRIFFIN, ACCOMPANIED BY COUNSEL, TOM GENTRY

The CHAIRMAN. State your name, your place of residence, and your business or occupation, please, sir.

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Ermon Griffin. I reside at 121 Clark Street, El Dorado, Ark. I am business manager and financial secretarytreasurer of Local 706, United Association.

The CHAIRMAN. Let the record show that Mr. Gentry appears as counsel for the witness.

How long have you been a member of local 706?
Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I was a charter member.

The CHAIRMAN. When was local 706 established?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. It was in 1943. The exact month I don't recall. Prior to that we were a member of another local there, and they merged us.

The CHAIRMAN. They merged, two locals merged?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir; in 1943.

The CHAIRMAN. It was a different

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. It was the same parent organization, but we had a plumbers' local, a steamfitters' local, and a general pipefitters' local.

The CHAIRMAN. So the charter was issued for this one, the merged local, sometime in 1943 ?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. That is my recollection; yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What is your official position now, business agent and what?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Financial secretary-treasurer.

The CHAIRMAN. Business agent and financial secretary-treasurer. How long have you held this position?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I was elected to financial secretary-treasurer in 1954, I believe.

The CHAIRMAN. Was that at a regular union election or a special? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. A special called meeting for this purpose. The CHAIRMAN. A special called election?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir; notices were sent out.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you been reelected since 1954?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir; in 1956. I was reelected. That was in June.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you had any election in your local since 1956? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir. Wait a minute you caught me a little fast there. I believe there have been some vacancies filled.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. There has been no general election, but there may have been some special elections filling vacancies? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. What are your duties as business agent and financial secretary-treasurer?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I attend to the business of the local union. I take care of the business of negotiation, and so forth, meet with contractors, employ our people, and also keep the records of the local union, the financial records.

The CHAIRMAN. You keep the financial records?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You are responsible for those?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Also responsible for making financial reports; are you?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir; that is the finance committee.

The CHAIRMAN. You have a finance committee who makes financial reports?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What authority do they have over the records? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. They have all the authority under our constitution. I have a constitution in my briefcase.

The CHAIRMAN. We have one on file.

When you say they have all the authority, you mean the authority to audit, to inspect?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir; and to examine.

The CHAIRMAN. Is business agent a different office to that of financial secretary-treasurer?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. At present it is combined in our local union. The CHAIRMAN. When was it combined?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. The latter part of 1956, I believe, Senator. The exact date I don't recall.

The CHAIRMAN. That was following your election?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. The general election; yes, sir; at the death of the fellow who was elected as business manager at that time.

The CHAIRMAN. Were you appointed after the 1956 election to one of these positions?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir; I was elected to it.

The CHAIRMAN. At a special election?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And the offices were combined?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir; after notices were sent out and I believe it was 2 months or something like that, so everyone could be informed that there would be a special order of business.

The CHAIRMAN. It is now one office instead of two separate offices? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Prior to that time it had been two separate positions?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. The delay was occasioned by a desire to inform all of our members what the business would be and the time to take care of it.

The CHAIRMAN. I am talking about prior to that time you had a business agent office and you had the financial secretary-treasurer's office and they were two separate offices, but they were later combined about 1956?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And you hold both offices?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What office did you hold prior to 1956 in your local? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Prior to 1956 I was financial secretarytreasurer.

The CHAIRMAN. When did you first become financial secretarytreasurer?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. If I could refer to the minutes, I could probably tell you exactly. I believe it was--it must have been in 1955, Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. In 1955.

What position did you hold with your local in 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No official capacity in the local.

The CHAIRMAN. None.

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Other than as a member. I was a delegate one time to the El Dorado Building Trades Council for about 3 months and I had to leave town and go to work.

The CHAIRMAN. During the period of the construction of the Pine Bluff ordnance plant, the Pine Bluff Arsenal, when local 706 had

jurisdiction of the union work in your particular category of that project, did you hold any official position at all at that time? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. None?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Not in the union.

The CHAIRMAN. Not in the union?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. That is right. I was in a supervisory capacity on the job.

The CHAIRMAN. You were one of the supervisors on the job?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. As such, to whom did you report?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I reported to my immediate superior who changed during the job several times.

The CHAIRMAN. Who was your immediate superior in title of office? Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. When I left the job, Frank

The CHAIRMAN. No; I am talking about what was the title of your immediate superior?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I was general foreman for a while and then assistant superintendent for a while.

The CHAIRMAN. Who was your immediate superior when you were foreman?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. When I was general foreman it was a fellowhe was the piping superintendent. I forget his name. He was a

Cajun.

The CHAIRMAN. Who was your immediate superior officer when you were superintendent?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. During part of the time we had a piping superintendent and during part of the time our field superintendent, the general field superintendent, was our immediate superior.

The CHAIRMAN. What was his name?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Frank Weir.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you ever work under Mr. Yocom?
Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. As chief steward on that job or the steward on that job, were you ever working under him?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Not under his supervision; no, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Was he a superior officer to you by reason of his being the steward on that job?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. He would be inferior to you?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir. In other words, I would not take orders from the steward. My orders came from the company.

The CHAIRMAN. I am talking about insofar as union affairs.

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. In union affairs I took my instructions from Mr. Yocom; yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. That is what I meant.

Did you, as foreman and superintendent, collect assessments from the men who worked on the job?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You collected no assessments from the men who worked on the job?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I don't recall ever collecting one.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you pay assessments?

www

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You were a member of 706 and you got a receipt for your payment?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I paid my assessments into the office, not through the envelope.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you get a receipt for it?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you know what records were kept of those payments?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I have seen some of the audit reports; yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Whose audit reports?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Leo Herbert, I believe, performed the audit at that time.

The CHAIRMAN. Did we find any audit reports?

Mr. MUNDIE. Yes, we have audit reports.

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. Quite a few of our members paid that way instead of through the envelope system.

The CHAIRMAN. You did not, then, collect any assessments from members of 155, 665, and those who may have been working on permit from other unions?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I did not.

The CHAIRMAN. So you had nothing to do with that transaction of handling those moneys there; is that correct?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I would like to straighten up one point here. I think one morning I did sign as a witness on one of those envelopes, but that is the only time, just the one occasion. But I didn't regularly; no, sir. I might have done something like that.

The CHAIRMAN. But as far as any authority and act of performing any function representing the union in connection with it, you did not?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I did not; no, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there any other question on this?

Mr. DUFFY. Not in that area.

The CHAIRMAN. You did not keep the records of the union at that time? You were not responsible for the records they kept?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You now are responsible in your capacity?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I am.

The CHAIRMAN. But you were not at that time?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. There was an election of officers in local 798 at Tulsa on the 11th of December 1955, one of the locals in your international union. Were you familiar with that at the time?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. I am familiar with it; yes, sir. I mean, I am familiar with the fact that there was.

The CHAIRMAN. Are you familiar with the part that your local played in that election, and the officers of your local in arranging for the clearing-in of members of your union into that local so that they might vote in that election? Are you familiar with that?

Mr. ERMON GRIFFIN. To my knowledge, there was no official officers participating in that.